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IDENTITY THEFT RESOURCESConsumers Union – ID Theft Pagewww.consumersunion.org/pub/m/s/moneyprivacyid theft/index.htmlFederal Trade Commission Identity Theft Pagewww.consumer.gov/idtheftGet ID Smart - Identity Theft Preventionwww.GetIDSmart.comIdentity Theft Resource Centerwww.idtheftcenter.orgIndiana Office of the Attorney General Identity Theft Resourceswww.indianaconsumer.com/idtheftIndiana Office of the Attorney General Security Freeze Informationwww.indianaconsumer.com/consumer guide/securityfreeze.htmlPrivacy Rights Clearinghousewww.privacyrights.orgRequest Your Free Annual Credit Reportswww.annualcreditreport.comSecurity Freeze Sample Letters to Consumer Reporting Agencieswww.indianaconsumer.com/consumer guide/pub/securityfreezeletters.pdf

302 West Washington Street, IGCS 5th FloorIndianapolis, IN nsumer.com/IDTheft

IdentityTHEFTVICTIM KITAttorney General Greg ZoellerServing Indiana.and justice for all

The Attorney General’s Office established theIdentity Theft Unit in response to increasedidentity theft incidents reported by Indiana citizens and to enhance existing efforts to educateHoosiers about protecting their identities. TheIdentity Theft Unit assists ID theft victims andprovides investigative services to help promotethe prosecution of identity thieves.

INDIANA’S IDENTITY THEFT VICTIM KITRepairing your identity can be a lengthy and confusing process.This kit is designed to help you through the process of clearing yourname. It was specifically developed to provide assistance to Hoosierswho have been the victim of identity theft, as well as individuals inother states who have had their personal information fraudulentlyused in the state of Indiana.For your convenience we have included an Identity Theft ContactLog in this kit as a means for you to keep record of all conversationswith Law Enforcement and creditors. Note the time spent and anyexpenses incurred, since you may be able to obtain restitution in alater judgment or conviction against the thief or thieves. Confirmconversations in writing with correspondence sent by certified mail,return receipt requested. Make copies of all letters and documentssent. Keep original documents and send only photocopies.As soon as you become aware that your information has been stolenor used by someone other than yourself, you should act quickly.Although your course of action may vary slightly depending onwhere the fraud took place, there are basic steps that should betaken in nearly all instances of identity theft.Step 1: Promptly report the fraud to local lawenforcement, the Attorney General’s Identity TheftUnit and the FTC.Report the fraud to your local police department as soon as possibleand ask for a copy of the police report. When you file the report,provide as much documentation as possible, including copies ofdebt collection letters, credit reports and your notarized ID TheftAffidavit, available at www.IndianaConsumer.com/IDTheft.Promptly filing a report alerts local law enforcement to the crime,and establishes that you acted diligently. Get a police report, complaint number and/or other similar records, as you may need themwhen contacting your creditors.Identity theft is a crime often involving more than one jurisdiction.Therefore, you may need to be persistent when filing a police report.Stress the importance of a police report; many creditors require oneto resolve your dispute. Credit bureaus will automatically block thefraudulent accounts and bad debts from appearing on your creditreport, but only if you can give them a copy of the police report.File a consumer complaint with the Attorney General’s ConsumerProtection Division by contacting the Identity Theft Unit by phoneat 1-800-382-5516, or online at www.IndianaConsumer.com/IDTheft.Also, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission by contacting the FTC’s Identity Theft Hotline by phone at 1-877-ID-THEFT(1-877-438-4338), or online at www.consumer.gov/idtheft. The FTCmaintains a confidential, national identity theft database, and may

also be able to assist in pursuingidentity thieves through federalchannels, if applicable.Step 2: Contact the frauddepartment at any oneof the three major creditbureaus.Ask the credit bureau youcontact to take a report and toplace a “fraud alert” on yourcredit report. Request a victim’sstatement asking that creditorscall you before opening any“Many people aren’t sofortunate that they get new accounts or changing yourexisting accounts. As soon asto find out who stolethe credit bureau confirms yourtheir identity, but they fraud alert, the other two creditare fortunate becausebureaus should be automaticallythere are a tremendous notified to place fraud alerts.Ask the one you have contactedamount of wonderfulresources now available to confirm this action. Creditreports from all three creditto solve this problem.”bureaus should be sent to you– J. Michelle Sybesma,free of charge. Review the creditIdentity Theft Victimreports carefully to see if anyadditional fraudulent activity has been made to other accounts. If you already have a policereport, file number or complaint number from your local lawenforcement agency, give that information to the credit bureausas well.The three major credit bureaus may be contacted as follows:Equifax: 800-525-6285 (www.equifax.com)Experian: 888- 397-3742 (www.experian.com)TransUnion: 800- 680-7289 (www.transunion.com)Victims of identity theft should also consider placing a “securityfreeze” on their credit reports. A “security freeze” is a consumerright provided by Indiana law, and can block an identity thief fromopening a new account or obtaining credit in your name. This evenapplies if the thief has your social security number or other personalinformation. Under Indiana law, credit bureaus cannot charge a feefor placing or lifting a security freeze on your credit report. Moreinformation about placing a security freeze on your credit reportsis available online at www.IndianaConsumer.com/IDTheft.You may also help deter future identity theft by monitoring andreviewing your credit report on a regular basis. Federal law givesyou the right to one free credit report per year from each of the

three nationwide credit reporting bureaus. You may request yourfree credit reports at www.annualcreditreport.com, or by phone at1-877-322-8228.Step 3: Contact the fraud department of each of yourcreditors.Collect all your credit cards, bank account statements and othercreditor information (such as utility or cable bills) and make noteof the phone number/address of their “fraud” departments. Reportthe fraud to each creditor, even if that particular creditor has notbeen the subject of fraud. Ask each creditor to place a “fraud alert”on your account. Follow up in writing. If there are unauthorized charges on your accounts, most creditors will also ask you tosubmit a written report of the fraud, along with a police report,complaint number or file number from law enforcement. You mayuse the ID Theft Affidavit as part of your written report to make sureyou include all the necessary information. Many creditors will askyou to submit such an affidavit within two weeks of your report offraud. Your maximum liabilityunder federal law for unauthorized use of credit cards, ATMcards or debit cards depends onhow quickly you report the loss.Step 4: Your next stepsvary depending on the typeof identity theft.Depending on the type of identitytheft that occurred, there are“If you even remotelysome additional things you maydo to take control of the situation. suspect that your childhas been a victim ofStolen or fraudulentlyidentity theft, it isacquired Indiana driver’scrucial that you contactlicense: If your driver’sthe credit reportinglicense has been stolen or yoususpect that an ID thief hasagencies fraud departobtained a fraudulent driversment. And furthermore,license using your personaldon’t assume that justinformation, you must file abecause you correctedwritten complaint or notice withit once that it is magithe Indiana Bureau of Motorcally fixed forever.Vehicles requesting a new driverlicense number. If a driversKeep close tabs onlicense has already beenthat information, it isacquired by an ID thief, requestpriceless to them.”that they investigate the matter.– J. Michelle SybesmaTo find your local BMV licensewith her daughterbranch, visit www.in.gov/bmv, orBriAnna Sybesmacall 1-317-233-6000.

Stolen checks and fraudulent bank accounts: If you havehad checks stolen or bank accounts set up fraudulently in yourname, notify the bank(s) and request to have an affidavit on filewith their company. You may use the ID Theft Affidavit for this purpose. Put stop payments on any outstanding checks that you can’tconfirm. Cancel your checking and savings accounts and obtainnew account numbers. Give the bank a secret password for youraccounts. If a store rejects one of your own checks, contact thecheck verification company used by the store.ATM cards: If your ATM or debit card has been stolen or compro-mised, report it immediately. Get a new card, account number andpassword. Do not use your old password. When creating a password,don’t use common numbers like the last four digits of your SocialSecurity number or your birth date.Mail fraud: Notify the U.S. Postal Inspection Service if you suspectan identity thief has filed a change of your address with the postoffice, has stolen or tampered with mail sent to or from youraddress, or has used the mail to commit credit or bank fraud. Findout where fraudulent credit cards were sent. Notify the local postmaster for that address to forward all mail in your name to yourown address. You may also need to talk with the mail carrier. Youmay locate the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Office nearest you bygoing to www.usps.com/ncsc/locators/find-is.html.Social Security number misuse: Call the Social SecurityAdministration’s fraud hotline at 1-800-269-0271 to reportfraudulent use of your Social Security number. Order a copy of yourPersonal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement (PEBES) andcheck it for accuracy, as the thief might be using your Social Security number for employment purposes. You can request a PEBESapplication at your local Social Security office, download it at www.ssa.gov or call 1-800-772-1213. As a last resort, you might want torequest a new number. The SSA will only assign you a new numberif you fit its fraud victim criteria. If you believe your social securitynumber has been inappropriately used for employment or tax purposes, contact the Internal Revenue Service at 1-800-829-1040.Passports. If you have a passport, notify the passport office inwriting to be on the lookout for anyone ordering a new passport inyour name. If you believe your passport is being used fraudulently,contact the Department of State Passport Office at 1-877-487-2778.Phone service. If your long distance calling card has been stolenor you discover fraudulent charges on your bill, cancel the accountand open a new one. Provide a password that must be used any timethe account is changed.Legal help. You may want to consult an attorney to determinelegal action to take against creditors and/or credit bureaus if theyare not cooperative in removing fraudulent entries from your creditreport, or if negligence is a factor.

IDENTITY THEFT CONTACT LOGSTEP 1: LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES – REPORT IDENAgency/ DepartmentPhone NumberDate ContactedLOCAL POLICEDEPARTMENTATTORNEYGENERAL’S OFFICEID THEFT UNIT1-800-382-5516FEDERALTRADECOMMISSION1-877-ID THEFT(1-877-438-4338)STEP 2: FRAUD DEPARTMENT OF CREDIT BUERAU’SCredit BureauPhone ransUnion1-800-680-7289Date ContactedSTEP 3: BANKS, CREDIT CARD ISSUERS AND OTHER CREDITPhone NumberDate Contacted

DENTITY THEFTContact PersonReport NumberCommentsContact PersonReport NumberCommentsReport NumberCommentsEDITORSContact Person

INDIANA'S IDENTITY THEFT VICTIM KIT Repairing your identity can be a lengthy and confusing process. This kit is designed to help you through the process of clearing your name. It was specifically developed to provide assistance to Hoosiers who have been the victim of identity theft, as well as individuals in